1948wl generator question

[uncleguy]

Hello,First want to thank all for very helpful suggestions to get my 48 running.Sarge,Gerard,48panshovel,Chris,Cotten,all I missed also.Generator is working fine but I want to prevent any future problems.I noticed brushes are not wearing smooth,they have high and low spots in them.Also it appears to be real dirty inside case.Anyone have any ideas on this?Anyone rebuilding these?I would like to just take apart and clean but I am not sure about truing armature.Thanks Uncle Guy.

[Paps]

You are gonna get the brush wear. As the brushes wear, the dust from them sticks to everything inside. Magnetic charge I suppose.

[Bigincher]

When you say 'high and low spots', do you mean the contact across the width of the brush isn't consistantly in contact with the armature? Is the armature worn, and you just put new brushes in the generator which are now 'wearing in' on the old armature? If so, probably nothing to worry about. But rebuilding these old generators is a fairly straightforward job. If the armature is still fine, the commutators need to be turned on a lathe, then (more importantly) the insulators between them must be properly undercut.
Some time when you are feeling wealthy, you could pick up a spare genny and rebuild it for when this one gives up the ghost.

[Sarge]

Guy, When you said "I want to prevent any future problems," and were still talking about a 6-volt, Harley 32E-driven electrical system, I took that as a contradiction in terms! Heh. I, for one, am completely sold on converting any bike you plan to acturally run in the 21st Century to a bolt-in 12v. alternator. Unless you're building for the judging field, or a museum, six weak, obsolete volts just doesn't make any sense, anymore.
Unless you have one in your pocket, where are you gonna find a 6-volt (1154) taillight bulb, in the dark, five miles from Intercourse, Pennsylvania, some night? When it's working perfectly, a 6-volt headlight beam amounts to a yellow "glow," and a 6-volt, glass Beehive taillight doesn't warn people that you're ahead until they're on top of ya! And the horn I'm using is a Harley part, built for the Softtail Springer, exactly like the old ones, and LOUD ENOUGH TO BE HEARD! heheh.
Years ago, I spent an hour constructing a galvanized steel box of the exact O.D. of a six volt H-2 battery. The original battery cover slides over it. I made do with a variety of 12-volt lead acid batteries for years, but those new, sealed rechargable 12-volt batteries just becoming available are unbelievable. I just put a 12 a.h. sealed battery inside of my "H-2 box." If you want to get really slick, take apart an H-2 battery and put its top and terminals on your box, and wire the terminals up permanently.
Originally, I went to one of those bolt-in alternators that look like an oil filter, and the outside spins as the motor runs. It ran a dash-75 solid-state Harley regulator (rated at 15-amps). It never gave me any trouble, and, though it had a threaded shaft like a dash-58 or later Harley generator, I put the Flathead's original "slinger" drive gear on it, with a self-locking, Nylock nut, and it ran fine for years. Just for insurance, I carried a spare aftermarket dash-75 regulator in my saddlebag on long trips, but never needed it.
My latest acquisition is a bolt-in 32E replacement being hand built, one-at-a-time, by a fellow in New Brunswick, Canada. He calls it the "Poweraythor 32E," and it rocks!
How about 45 amps, supplied by a little Denso alternator that fits in your hand, with a built in regulator, and install it and forget it?
And, if you ever decide to go back, it's all just bolt-in. He's selling um on eBay, or you can contact him directly at saddlebagrail@yahoo.ca.



It has threaded sets of holes for the original 1/4" mounting screws, or the later 5/16ths bolts, for people who've made that little conversion. I'm crasy about it. (Or I'm just crazy. 'Depends on who you ast, I guess.)

[Bigincher]

I see that item pretty regularly on eBay, Sarge. I know it's a good unit, I've seen your posts before on the subject. For me, I'll stick with the antiquated 6-v 3-brush system for the '52. It won't be a daily rider.

[Sarge]

Big, ever'body an' his brother knows that your '52 is a res-tor-AAAAA-shin!
You know what you have to do!

[Bigincher]

Oh c'mon Man, I was hiding behind "Correctoration". I'm still not fully committed to a full-blown "Restoration". There will be some parts that won't get refinished.

[Chris Haynes]

Originally Posted by Bigincher

Oh c'mon Man, I was hiding behind "Correctoration". I'm still not fully committed to a full-blown "Restoration". There will be some parts that won't get refinished.

Why not? The bike is all apart. Do it right so ya don't have to do it over.

[Bigincher]

Originally Posted by Chris Haynes

Why not? The bike is all apart. Do it right so ya don't have to do it over.

Well, I'm talking mostly about the wheels. I really wasn't planning on despoking the wheels, refinishing the rims, the spokes, the hubs, and putting it all back together. The bearing surfaces of the hubs are not worthy of the expense. My plan is to use these fairly-decent-looking wheels that came on it while I restore a second set of wheels as time and money allows. I already have two really nice bare hubs, and two K-H rims that need refinished. I just have to draw the line somewhere.

[Gerard]

the commutators need to be turned on a lathe, (Bigincher)
Sure! In the run of the years the commutator becomes a bit ,,oval"
and at higher speed the coalbrushes start to fly, (come loose from the comutator and draw sparks and burn out). After turning the collector (comutator), make it matt with a very fine sandpaper when still in the lathe, so the brushes will run in more easy. And pitted brushes can be ,,remodelled" with that round, how you call it, grinding mop in the Dremel box, if done carefully you get the same radius as the commutator. Put safety glasses on.